


Looking Glass

by CrypticGabriel



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Altean Shiro (Voltron), Alternate Universe - Royalty, Angst with a Happy Ending, Arranged Marriage, Arranged Marriage between Lotor/Shiro (Voltron), Attempted Sexual Assault, Blood and Gore, Childbirth, Corruption, Explicit Sexual Content, Galra Keith (Voltron), Gender Dysphoria, Knotting, Low Self-Esteem, M/M, Magic, Mating, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mind Manipulation, Misgendering, Mpreg, Non-Consensual Touching, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sexual Assault, Sexual Objectification, Temporary Amnesia, Trans Pregnancy, Trans Shiro (Voltron), Transphobia, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-01-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:35:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22151881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrypticGabriel/pseuds/CrypticGabriel
Summary: Shiro, the Altean Prince, was arranged to marry the Galra Emperor. While he had no interest in his betrothed, Shiro instead had his eyes on Keith, the royal guard that the Emperor assigned to him to protect him. After pieces of his past come back to haunt him and reveal sinister things about the court's power underneath the monarchy, Shiro is compelled to find the truth.
Relationships: Allura/Lotor (Voltron), Keith/Shiro (Voltron), Lotor/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 66





	Looking Glass

**Author's Note:**

> Please keep the tags in mind before you read! I just want to clarify for those who haven't read this thread on twitter when I shared this, the rape/non-con trigger warning isn't between Keith and Shiro, but an altercation that happens during Shiro's heat with other people.
> 
> With that out of the way, I hope you enjoy!

_Shiro remembered little of what happened_ during the early years of his childhood. The only moment from his past that had struck out to him like a sore thumb was the face of a smiling woman cradling him in his arms.

_“You’re destined for great things, my sweet girl,”_ she’d crooned.

Looking back, he realized that face must’ve been his birth mother’s. She was lost long ago, though, during a brutal war with Daibazaal. The rest of what he knew was from his parents telling him the story of why they took him in.

His father, the King, was with his guards, traveling the outskirts for survivors. There were no survivors left in this small village… Or at least, that was what they thought.

In the King’s own words, they heard the cries of a little girl from the remains of a shack. The structure was completely scorched, everything inside destroyed.

That injured little girl was Shiro.

He was adopted by them and welcomed as a member of the royal family. However, since his parents weren’t related to him by blood, he technically couldn’t ascend the throne. Their biological daughter, Allura, could.

He had no issues with that. Without the pressure of becoming a monarch, he had aspirations to become an alchemist. He didn’t know why, but he was always interested in the art of magic. He used his prosthesis to that advantage. It wasn’t becoming of a Prince to practice magic, so he practiced in secret.

One issues that he did take, however, was that as Shiro started to grow and transition into a man, subjects and members of the planetary court deeply frowned upon his very existence. They all thought he was just doing it to become king, which wasn’t true at all.

Regardless, the court felt threatened. Thus leading to what he was facing today: an arranged marriage.

Allura, now Queen of Altea, was nervous to marry Shiro off. But as the court put it, he could end the feud between Altea and Daibazaal.

But Shiro hated the Galra.

There was little he remembered about the day he was orphaned, but Shiro knew the Galra killed his birth mother. That day, he’d lost his arm, fashioned now with a strong and practical prosthetic. The last thing he wanted to do was marry a Galra, especially the Emperor.

Lotor, the rightful heir and new Emperor of Daibazaal, needed an Omega spouse. Against Shiro’s consent, he agreed to the wedding.

“Shiro, it won’t be so bad,” Allura smiled, trying to be sympathetic. “Maybe you’ll be happy with him.”

“Not a single bone in my body will be happy, if my lifelong mate is a Galra.”

“He’s half-Galra, if that makes you feel any better,” she insisted. “His mother was Altean.”

He looked over at his bedroom mirror, staring at the robes he was forced to wear to impress the Emperor. “Why did my clothes have to look so… feminine?”

“Oh…” Allura looked at him from the mirror, as well. “It doesn’t look so bad. I believe the royal dresser said that long and elegant robes that did little to conceal would heighten an Alpha’s appeal in an Omega partner.”

“I feel objectified,” he muttered.

“I mean… you’re not wrong.”

“I don’t want to do this.” He turned away from the mirror. “Can’t you stop the engagement?”

“Unfortunately, it’s not my decision anymore,” she said. “It’s Daibazaal’s. Only the Emperor can cancel the engagement.”

A servant knocked on the door. “Your Majesty? The Emperor is here.”

Shiro internally screamed. He didn’t want to be see the Emperor. He didn’t want to make any plans for the wedding, and he did not want to marry. He was practically dragged out of his chambers by Allura.

“Fix your hair,” she huffed, pulling strands of his long locks behind his ear. “Look presentable.”

“Allura…” He whined. “I don’t want to marry.”

“I’m sorry.” She led him down the stairs and to the hall. “I’m here for you, and I wish I could stop this, but it’s not up to me anymore.”

Their conversation stopped when they were in the throne room. Lotor looked regal and powerful, standing still as a statue with several guards at his sides. Galra were tall in nature, towering over Alteans, but Lotor seemed just about Shiro’s height. And there was also one Galra at his side that was even smaller than them.

The Galra guard’s hair was long, as well, tied back in a braid. His expression was stern, but his eyes looked soft… mesmerizing, even. One thing that Shiro knew about the Galran Royal Guard was that they were resilient and merciless. Most of his prejudice was directed at them.

“Emperor Lotor of Daibazaal.” Allura smiled, sitting upon her throne. “Welcome. Please, accept our humble invitation of allyship. This is Prince Takashi.”

Lotor looked him over, eyes narrowing. “Prince? My Adviser told me that there were two sisters. Is this some kind of joke?”

Shiro scoffed. Great first impression.

“Takashi is a man, Emperor,” Allura quickly defended. “Regardless of what your Adviser told you, that was in the past. Takashi no longer identifies as a woman.”

Just her saying that made Shiro feel sick.

Lotor crossed his arms. “My apologies, Prince Takashi. I didn’t mean offense.”

Shiro couldn’t help but still be offended, but he gave him a silent nod of acknowledgement. “Welcome to Altea, Emperor Lotor.”

“Thank you.” He stepped forward. “These are my Royal Guards. On my right is Kolivan, Captain of the Royal Guard. On my left is Keith, my top soldier. He is well versed in the Intergalactic Fleet, and he came from a long lineage of championed fighters. I offer him to you as your personal guard. Galran royalty can never be too careful, and we always have a guard at our side for protection. Only the best for my betrothed.

Being considered a “betrothed” was absolutely abhorrent to Shiro, but he couldn’t be rude. “Thank you, Emperor, but I don’t need protection.”

“I insist.” He took his hands, a gesture that made Shiro nearly flinch.

“Where shall we have the wedding? Altea or Daibazaal.”

“Oh, do have it here,” Allura insisted. “You’ve come all this way.”

Without skipping a beat, Lotor was quick to agree. “We’ll have it here, then, Your Majesty.”

He bowed his head to her. Hell, he looked like he revered her more than his “betrothed” right in front of him.

\--

_Lotor took Shiro out onto the_ veranda to speak in private. Both royal guards were a decent enough distance away where it still felt like they had some privacy.

“Galra weddings are a little different from Altea weddings, but I’ll be interested in blending our customs together.”

Shiro was disinterested. Altean weddings involved a sacred sharing of lifelong vows. Other than that, there was nothing inherently special about them.

“But one Galra wedding tradition we must keep is marking a heat bond.”

“A what?” His body went rigid.

“You must go into heat after the wedding. So, we will mark each other in public, after we’d both had elixirs that have aphrodisiac qualities. They’re designed to trigger heats and ruts. We do this to ensure you conceive viable offspring.”

“Excuse me?” Shiro quickly stood up. “Triggering my heat? Marking me in public? ‘Viable offspring?’ I’ve never heard anything so archaic in all my life! I’ve been on suppressant my entire adult life, and I’m not going off them any time soon.”

“Oh, but Your Highness.” Lotor tried to take his hand again, but Shiro flinched it away. “These are all traditions. My Empire expects us to follow the most basic of our customs.”

“I refuse,” he muttered. “I’m sacrificing a lot of things here, but my bodily autonomy is not one of them. I won’t go off my suppressants just because of some tradition!”

He quickly started to storm off, away from the veranda and into the garden. He had a private place he liked to go to… where he used to practice his magic. However, it wasn’t going to be private for long. Someone was following him.

He turned around and stopped. It was Keith. The royal guard stayed right behind him.

“Stop following me,” he snarled. “I don’t need any protection! I don’t want any of your Emperor’s offerings!”

“Prince Takashi, it’s my duty to stay by your side.”

Shiro didn’t expect Keith’s voice to sound so warm. It made his heart race.

“I have to defend and protect you with my life. My only goal in life is to serve.”

He frowned. “You don’t seem too pleased with that ultimatum, there.”

“And you aren’t pleased with yours,” he smirked. “No one asked me if I wanted to be attached to a spoiled prince’s hip.”

“I’m not spoiled!” he scoffed. “You have no clue of my upbringing.”

“I know enough,” he shrugged. “You were raised in a palace, you got anything you wanted, and the one time you don’t have it, you throw a massive fit.”

“You know nothing of my upbringing,” he muttered, harsher now.

Keith frowned. “…Fair enough, I guess.”

“You’re incredibly rude, for someone who’s supposed to protect me.”

“And you’re rude to my Emperor. Are we even?”

“Not in the least.” Shiro couldn’t help but chuckle. “Are you always this charming?”

Keith let out a small grunt. “You’re a royal. My job is just to protect you. I don’t need any kind of charm.”

He huffed. “Then, can I be frank with you?”

There was no direct response.

“Forgive me for not being too fond of your Emperor. I know it seems I have some sort of vendetta against the Galra. You probably know little about me based off that narrow assumption, but I was an illegitimate child. I was adopted, and I never knew my birth father. There’s little even I know about my family, except that I had a mother.” He sighed. “How old were you during the Siege of Altea?”

“I was a kit,” he admitted. “The only things I know are from stories.”

“Well, I was a young child back then.” Thinking about what happened was so painful. “Well, during that… invasion, a group of Galra guards killed my birth mother. And when they set our home on fire, I lost my arm. The burning structure collapsed and fell right on top of me. I’d hated the Galra ever since.” His eyes widened while he raised his arms up. “I don’t even know why I’m telling you this.”

“Prince Takashi, that was the Galra under the Old Empire.” Keith looked at him. “This was when we were under the control of Emperor Zarkon. The Captain of his Royal Guard was Sendak. They were tyrannical, cruel people. Things are different now. Emperor Lotor wants to repair our alliance. That’s why this marriage is being arranged.”

“I’m apathetic to this attempt at a truce,” Shiro muttered. “I don’t want to marry your Emperor, no offense to him.”

“I’m sure he takes no real offense,” he insisted. “After all, he’s infatuated with your sister, the Queen.”

“Allura?” He perked up. “If he loves her, why marry me?”

Keith shrugged his shoulders. “There was a discussion between the Emperor and Parliament. He wanted to form a courtship with and soon marry the Queen. However, the Altean Court officials disapproved the marriage. They said that the Queen’s sister was a threat to the throne. They said she tried to override the Queen’s rightful place as the monarch by impersonating a King.”

Shiro’s blood went cold. “They said that?”

“Sure did,” he nodded. “The Royal Guards know and see everything. There’s nothing about the Galran Parliament nor the Emperor that we don’t know.”

“…So, that’s why he said that he was told there were two sisters,” he said breathlessly. “I can’t believe that. I knew they didn’t approve of my transition, but why does the Altean Court hate me so much? They’d been so vitriolic, ever since the King and Queen passed away.”

“I can’t really say for certain why they hate you,” Keith said simply. “For what it’s worth, I’ve only been keeping an eye on you for ten minutes, but I think that anyone who hates you is sorely mistaken about you. You’re insufferable, but I don’t hate you.”

Shiro rolled his eyes. “Thank you. I don’t hate you, either.”

He still kept thinking about what Keith said about the Altean Court. Did Allura know this was their plan? If it was true that Lotor would’ve rather been with the Queen, what would Shiro’s future hold if he had to be in a loveless marriage?

“Keith, may I set some rules? Is that allowed?”

“I’m your personal guard,” Keith reminded. “I do whatever you tell me to.”

Shiro frowned and rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m well aware that you’re an Alpha, but if you use that as an excuse to overly protect me, I will have to fire you.”

Keith chuckled. “You can’t ‘fire’ me. And besides, what would you consider ‘overly protective’ for an Alpha?”

“When I figure out what that is, I’ll let you know,” he teased, not looking at him. “Also, you’re not allowed in my chambers or the washroom. You may wait outside. Much like you’re entitled to privacy, I’m entitled to my own.”

“Until you marry the Emperor.”

_“Especially_ when I marry the Emperor,” he corrected quickly. “If you follow these rules, I will tolerate you as my guard. Understood, Keith?”

“It’s a deal.” Keith held out his hand.

“Thank you.” Even Keith’s hands were warm. Shiro shook hands with him and smiled. “I think we’ll get along just fine.”

\--

_“Do I have to wear this?”_ Shiro groaned as he stared at himself in the mirror. He made Keith wait outside for this, especially. This was far too embarrassing.

“Oh, Takashi, it doesn’t look that bad…” Allura wasn’t looking at him.

“It’s a _dress.”_ Shiro was seething, staring at the gown he wore with a long train at the end. “When are you going to abolish the Altean Court?! They’re being blatantly transphobic to me.”

“Oh, Shiro…” Allura bit her lip. “I can’t just make the entire court resign. They’ve been in Office since my father ruled.”

“All the more reason for them to be replaced,” he muttered. “Their ideas of what’s considered becoming for Alteans are archaic and discriminatory.” He glanced towards the royal dresser. “Find me more masculine robes. If you can’t find them, then make them.”

“Your Highness, this was requested by the Altean Court.”

“I am the Prince. I am above the Altean Court, whether they like it or not,” he muttered. “Now, please. Please, take these off me, before I rip them off.”

The dresser removed the gown within moments. “I’ll see what I can do. I think lilac would still look attractive on you, if I adjust the lengths of this train, hem the sleeves, and adjust the design. I can fashion better robes.”

“I’d greatly appreciate that.” Shiro smiled a bit, now that he was dressed in his normal robes. “Allura, have they decided on when the wedding is being held?”

Allura still wouldn’t look at him. “Three days.”

“Three days?! We’d just met!” Shiro couldn’t help but let out a whine. “Why does the Altean Court hate me?”

“They don’t hate you. They’re uh… they’re just afraid that you were trying to overtake the throne.”

“So, I’ve been told,” he muttered. “You do know that I had absolutely no desire to become King, right? I was born a peasant! I’m not king material.”

“I know, you didn’t,” she assured him pleadingly. “But that doesn’t stop the Altean Court from trying to make sure laws are being followed.”

Once he was properly redressed, he led Allura out of the dressing room. He was headed to the washroom. It was time to take his heat suppressants, something that was practically a daily ritual for him.

“I’d see it as them looking out for the kingdom’s well-being if they weren’t being so hateful.” He could feel Keith following closely behind, quietly and quickly. As agreed, he stopped when they got to Shiro’s chambers. “Sometimes, I wish I knew were my family truly came from. I feel like the Altean Court is only threatened because of something from the past, but it’s nothing that I remember. I can’t be the only royal that’s queer.”

“You’re right. That’s highly unlikely,” she frowned. “I wish I could find this out for you, but my father never mentioned where exactly he found you. He just mentioned that you were from a peasant village, but I can’t help but think that I’d seen you before.”

That was new to him. “What do you mean? You think you’d seen me?”

“I thought for sure that I did, around the palace. You weren’t a royal, but you were… there. But when I tried to speak to you when you first became part of the family, you didn’t know who I was. So, I guess I was mistaken.”

“No one ever told me that before…” he said faintly. “I don’t remember anything from my childhood, except that I had a mother… and we lived in a small hut. That’s very strange…”

Shiro looked through the cabinets in the washroom. There was a specific spot where he kept his heat suppressants. However, when he went to reach for it from muscle memory, there was nothing there.

“What?” he gasped and shuffled through the different medicines that were in there. His suppressants still couldn’t be found. “Where are they?”

“Where are what?” Allura frowned.

“My suppressants!” He tore through the cabinet and even looked on the floor. He bent down and felt around all different corners of the washroom. “They’re gone!” He shot up and looked at Allura. “Do you know about this?”

“I know nothing.”

“You’re the _Queen!”_ He threw his arms up. “You’re the one that’s supposed to take charge of the Court!”

“But I was only coronated months ago,” she reminded. “There’s still a lot I don’t know.”

“Don’t let them influence your capability to rule,” he muttered. “You know damn well how to run a kingdom, let alone the entire planet! Have the Altean Court ever run a planet? Did Father let them mop the floor with him and take over all areas of government?”

“Shiro, it’s not that simple.”

“It _is!_ What they’re doing is treason, Allura! Please, tell me what happened to my suppressants.”

“I… I think I might know. Coran was in here a couple hours ago.”

“Coran?”

“He was only in here for a moment, and then the next minute, he was gone,” she said. “It wasn’t his idea, and I know it wasn’t. The Altean Court had told me that they were getting ready to follow traditions for a Galra wedding between you and the Emperor, but I didn’t think that would involve taking your suppressants. I’m sorry, Shiro.”

Shiro began to panic. He didn’t know what to do. “Allura, I don’t want to marry him. I can’t marry him!”

“There’s nothing I can do.” Allura frowned. “You know I’d try to do something if I could.”

“He doesn’t even want anything to do with me,” he said. “He loves _you,_ Allura!”

“What?” she helplessly laughed. “Oh, don’t be silly. He doesn’t have feelings for me.”

“What if I told you I have a reliable source?”

Her face started to turn red. “Oh, I don’t know…” She was flustered. “I know that I felt something for him when we were young, but that was so long ago. Besides, what’s done is done. You’re set to marry him in three days.”

“Not if I have anything to say about it,” he muttered.

He had to walk away. His mind was racing, and he needed to get away. He needed to be as far away from the palace as possible. Damn the wedding date. He needed to get away and clear his mind.

From the helplessness of having his suppressants taken away, to the impending marriage, to the bombshell of Allura’s claim that they supposedly knew each other as children, he wanted to at least clear his mind before he had to surrender himself to the Emperor. He had to take his final days of freedom in a dignified manner.

He was startled when Keith was standing right in front of the door.

“Your Highness,” Keith started, sounding uncharacteristically regal.

“Oh, shut up,” he teased while stepping in his champers. “You may come in.”

“Sounds dangerous.” Regardless of his remark, Keith followed him inside. “What changed your mind?”

“I’m leaving,” he said. “I know you have to stay at my side, so you’ll be coming with me.”

“You can’t be gone for long,” he said. “Your wedding is in three days.”

“I know when the wedding is!” he snapped. “But we’re not attending. We’re leaving.”

“No, wait! You can’t leave!” Keith protested. “Do you know what I’d be risking if I knowingly took you away so close to your wedding?”

“And do you know what I’m risking if I let the Altean Court win?” he challenged. “There’s something they’re hiding from me, and I’ll find out if it kills me.”

“They could have a personal vendetta against you just because,” he shrugged. “Have you ever thought about that?”

“Frequently,” Shiro grumbled. “But the Queen told me something that I can’t ignore. There’s only one place I can think of where I’ll find answers.” He started packing.

“Where might that be?” Keith sat on the bed and watched him. He seemed oddly accepting of the fact that Shiro was leaving despite his protests.

“My old home,” he said. “The last place I saw my birth mother. Maybe I’ll find answers.”

“Didn’t you say your old home was burned down?” he reminded. “Where do you expect to find answers in rubble?”

“My reasoning’s a bit complicated,” Shiro admitted. “It’ll be easier to explain when we leave.” He only took one bag with him, full of essentials. “Do you have a vehicle?”

“I have a pod,” he said. “It’s big enough for the two of us, but you can blatantly tell that it’s a Galra pod. We’ll be tracked down within ticks.”

Shiro groaned, pacing the floor. “What if we pretend that I’ve been abducted?”

“Everyone has seen you in the palace today. How could we pull that off?”

He huffed. “Somehow.” His eyes then lit up. “Hey. I’ll go into your pod first. Then, you announce that I’d been abducted, and you’re going out to find me.”

Keith frowned. “That’s the best you can come up with?”

“Do you have anything better?” he challenged.

“Well, no.” He sighed. “It’s not gonna work.”

“We have to try,” he insisted, practically begging him at this point. “Please.”

Keith sighed, looking around different corners of the room. He was apprehensive. Shiro could somehow sense it. “Alright. Now, carry out your plan. But if you frame me, you’ll never hear the end of it.”

“Thank you.” Relieved, Shiro ran up to his wardrobe. Sure, he was packed now, but he really wanted to sell that he was abducted. He grabbed some of his clothes and threw them across the room. When he turned to where his trinkets on the mantle were, he shoved them down, as well.

“Your Highness, what are you doing?”

“Well, we want to make an abduction believable, right?” Shiro tore his sheets off the bed, ripping a section of the canopy overlaying it down. He had no regard for his possessions, not if it meant the Altean Court was using him like this. “I’m ready.” Shiro held his bags. “I’ll leave first. Just tell me where to go.”

Keith nodded. “Along the side of the palace, there are several space pods parked away. Mine has a purple emblem on it. You’ll be safe once inside, but don’t touch anything!”

Shiro was already starting to run off when Keith started to raise his voice. “How can I go into the pod if I can’t touch anything?”

“Smartass,” he chuckled. “Hey, this is your plan. Go on!”

“Not so loud.” Shiro hurried off to escape. He had to be as stealth as possible. His heart was pounding.

There was one thing that he didn’t consider until now. With his heat suppressants gone, he had no idea when he could go into heat. He felt like a ticking time bomb, but hopefully he could find a solution to keep it at bay. He hated going into heat, the process dehumanizing and at times dysphoric for him. He had his first heat when he was still a teenager, and he immediately went on suppressants after. He couldn’t even recall when his first heat actually was.

He had to go outside through the back, because guards were surrounding the main entrance. He narrowly avoided Allura. He felt bad for leaving behind her back, but he knew things would be better this way in the long run.

When stepping into the pod, he went down to the ground to avoid being seen by guards. They started running through the courtyard, and Shiro guessed that Keith told them by now. They were scouring the area to find someone who was right under heir noses. The tension made him feel strange, even a bit feverish, but he tried to calm himself down enough to not draw any attention to himself.

“Bring him back.”

Shiro tensed when hearing Lotor’s voice so close.

“Bring him home safely. Make sure no harm comes to him!”

“Yes, Emperor Lotor.” Keith stepped into the pod, blank expression to not give away Shiro hiding inside. He started off the ignition, and Shiro gasped when noticing the pod start to levitate off the ground.

He was fascinated by the technology, but he couldn’t enjoy the liftoff like his curiosity wanted him to, afraid that he’d be caught. His eyes mostly focused on Keith and how skilled he was at piloting. He could watch him all day.

Shiro quickly shook his head. He shouldn’t have these thoughts.

“The coast is clear,” Keith assured once several moments passed.

Shiro carefully stood up and held onto Keith’s seat. There was a second seat beside him he didn’t notice before.

“Go on, sit down,” he assured him.

He blushed and quietly complied.

“Were you going to explain to me what’s going on, Prince Shiro? Or are you going to leave me in suspense?”

He blushed and looked out at the landscape below them. “I think the Altean Court is intentionally hiding something about my past. About my birth mother… The Queen told me that she thought she knew me in childhood, but she thought she was mistaken because I didn’t… I guess, remember her? But I thought for sure that I’d never seen her before being taken in by King Alfor. But something about that makes sense. Like, why would the King of Altea take in some random peasant as his own? They had to have known me, or my mother.”

“Emperor Lotor’s family has an incredibly dramatic past.” Keith quirked a brow. “But your family is rather dramatic, as well. Did the Altean Court specifically give something away that could corroborate that?”

“Not exactly,” he frowned. “I started transitioning a couple years ago, and around that time was when they really started to push me away and make me marry your Emperor. I never wanted to be King, anyways. They knew this.”

“Maybe you hold more power than you think you do.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Do you know exactly where we’re going? I need you to plug in the coordinates.”

“Right.” Shiro cleared his throat and set the coordinates up that Keith needed. He leaned back against the seat, mind still wandering. Hopefully, he could find answers.

As for his heat, however, there was a small incantation that he knew that would keep it at bay, but he could only use it for emergencies. It also took a lot of his energy to keep that spell up, so he hoped he wouldn’t go into heat…

\--

_“Princess…”_

_Shiro’s eyes shot open, and_ he suddenly wasn’t in Keith’s pod anymore. He was in a bright, open field, and when he looked down at himself, he felt smaller and wore a frilly dress.

His initial reaction was that he hated it.

_“Princess?”_

He heard the voice again, and his body moved on its own accord. His mind started to protest. He wasn’t a girl. Why was the person in his dream calling him a princess? He ran in the palace he called home, and he could hear his child self laugh, giggles reverberating off the walls.

_“There she is!”_

In the drawing room, he saw King Alfor giving him a big smile. He wasn’t dressed in his formal leotard, but a regal suit with a powdered wig.

_“There’s my princess…”_ A woman was smiling at him and welcoming him with open arms.

He knew her.

“Hello, Mother!”

His voice sounded so tiny and high pitched in his ears, the thought scaring him for a moment before he felt himself being picked up.

_“How’s my favorite girl?”_

It _was_ his mother. He _knew_ her. She was beautiful.

_“Your Majesty.”_

Shiro blinked when hearing Alfor’s voice.

_“Your Majesty, you still have to meet with Daibazaal. Emperor Zarkon is on his way.”_

_“I just need a moment longer with my baby,”_ she frowned. _“He can wait a few more minutes, Alfor. I’ll be out there in a moment?”_

He was confused. What kind of dream was this?

“Mother, can I go play with Allura?” His voice sounded so foreign as he pleaded with her. Alfor was leaving the room.

_“In a moment,”_ she assured her. _“Sweetheart, I need you to do something important for me. Do you remember the spells that I taught you?”_

He felt himself nod his head.

“Yep! I practice saying them in my room. It’s so cool!”

_“I know,”_ she assured with a smile, _“but Princess, I must tell you. You must never forget them, okay? They may come in handy in the future.”_

She had a distant look growing in her eyes.

“What’s the matter, Mother?”

Now that they were alone together, she sighed softly. _“I sense something grave is about to happen, my child, so we must be careful. And no matter what happens, you must never forget the Looking Glass spell.”_

“The Looking Glass! Oh, that one’s easy!”

_“Can you recite it now for me?”_

He bit his lip. _“Through the looking glass… the truth will show. Wicked lies will fade once the world knows?_ Right, Mother?”

_“That’s right, my big girl,”_ she grinned while holding him tightly. _“Never forget that.”_

_…Looking Glass spell?_ What—

_“Queen Naomi Shirogane, of Altea.”_

A deep voice that startled him rang out in the small room. The face that greeted him was of the Emperor.

_“Shiro?”_

When he blinked, the drawing room was gone, and so were his mother and Zarkon. He felt a sensation of a large, gnarled hand covering his head, sending shocks coursing through him. The pain was indescribable.

_“Shiro!”_

When he blinked again, he stood in a field, wearing rags. His mother was behind him in the clothes he remembered seeing her wear last; tattered rags but her hair still long and flowing. Her smile never wavered.

_“Prince Shiro!”_

The scorching flames danced behind his eyes, and he hurried to avoid the structure of his childhood home that came crumbling down on top of him.

_“Shiro! Wake up!”_

\--

_He didn’t know when he stopped_ breathing. Shiro woke up gasping for air. His limbs tingled, and the first thing he heard were erratic alarms blaring.

“Wha—?” He gasped and looked around. It was nightfall, but there were lights flashing all around them. “What’s happening?”

“We’ve been hit,” Keith groaned. “There have been ships ambushing us. Your soldiers.”

“Shit.” Shiro started to pale. “Do you think the Court’s onto us?”

“I don’t know, but you’d better hold onto something.” Keith started bracing himself. “I don’t know if they’re going to chase us down, so once you regain your footing, run like hell.”

Shiro held his breath. He’d never felt so afraid. “Are you sure it was my soldiers that shot us down?”

“I’d spent the last several minutes trying to fight them off,” he muttered. “Now, brace yourself, dammit!”

Shiro held onto his seat, too panicked to have a better strategy. They hit the ground hard.

He felt his body jolt from the crash, and the feverish tension he felt before they left spiked. He started trembling, breathing hard and struggling to regain his footing. The front of the pod was completely bashed in, and Keith was struggling to get out.

“Keith!” he gasped. He crawled closer and took hold of his shoulders. “Are you okay?”

“Just a scratch,” he chuckled, groaning as Shiro pulled him out. There was a large wound in his side.

Shiro’s eyes widened. “Shit… It’s deep, Keith.”

“Fuck.” Keith’s head lolled back. “Hurts like a bitch.”

“I can heal you.” Shiro placed a hand on the bloody wound, shaking while holding him.

“What?” he rasped.

“My birth mother taught me magic. I-I don’t know how or why she knows it, but I know certain spells. Like healing.”

“That’d work out really well right now,” he groaned.

Shiro’s voice was shaky from nerves, and he hoped this would work. He changed the one spell he knew by heart. It channeled a lot of his energy to heal Keith, and Shiro realized with a heavy heart that he wouldn’t have enough energy within himself to both belay his heat and do the Looking Glass spell. It was putting himself at a greater risk, but in that moment, he knew that Keith needed this more. This wound could’ve killed him if he didn’t try to heal him.

Keith’s clothes were still bloodstained and filthy, but the wound finally closed. He didn’t look as ill as he did when the pod first came down, and Shiro sighed in relief before collapsing in Keith’s arms.

\--

_“Good thing the soldiers didn’t try_ and chase us down on foot.”

Shiro was groggy as he was waking up. It was chilly, but Keith had lit a fire. “…How long was I unconscious?”

“Several vargas.” Keith looked up at the sky. “We’re too far away from civilization for me to carry you to a village, so we’ll stay here the night and keep moving tomorrow morning.”

Shiro heard his stomach growl. “Were you able to find food?”

“Almost. It got away,” he grumbled. “Something really strange is going on. Why would soldiers shoot down a pod that was going on a rescue mission for their prince?"

"It’s… almost like they didn’t want me to be found.” Shiro pursed his lips. “Keith, I had the strangest dream… Before the crash.”

“What about?” Keith added more wood to the fire.

“I saw my birth mother again. And King Alfor was there… only, he wasn’t dressed like a king. He wore what looked like a powdered wig. My mother kept calling me ‘princess,’ and Emperor Zarkon called her ‘queen.’”

“Was this a dream about when you were young?” he asked.

“It… felt more like a memory. But it couldn’t be. My mother wasn’t a queen. King Alfor was most definitely not a lowly nobleman.” Shiro snorted. “Must’ve just been a fantasy, but… there was this spell.”

Keith shrugged. “Dreams can be strange. It might’ve felt like a flashback, but maybe it was just your mind playing tricks.”

“I suppose… only the spell she told me was one that she apparently had me memorize.” He groaned. “I can’t think straight. I’m frightened. So much is happening at once, and I did so much to heal you. So, now I can’t stave off my heat—”

“I thought you were on suppressants.” Keith immediately shot up. “Aren’t you?”

“The Altean Court took them away.” Shiro bit his lip.

“They must truly hate you,” he muttered. “What right do they have to take those away from you?”

“Enough about them, what about me?” Shiro gasped. “We’re stranded in the wilderness with no food, no water, no transportation, and no shelter. We’re expose, and I can go into heat any day now! I’m terrified.”

“Easy, Your Highness…” Keith sighed and moved closer. “We’ll figure this out. We’re both under these conditions together, so we can figure it out together. Let’s wait until morning to worry about this. Besides, you still need rest.”

Shiro reluctantly nodded while settling back down. He’d never felt so scared, but when he looked towards where Keith was still standing. He didn’t seem to have any intention of sleeping. He was keeping guard.

Shiro couldn’t help but feel safe as he drifted off to sleep once more. They had a long journey ahead of them.

\--

_Shiro calculated based off their last_ known coordinates that his childhood home was about a day’s walk away from where they were. They planned on splitting it up in two days, so that they could take breaks and rest.

Shiro felt like a clock ticking down. With each moment that passed in the wilderness, he felt himself growing hotter.

Keith noticed that he was starting to slow down behind him and turned around. “Your Highness, you look sick. We should take a break.”

Shiro quickly shook his head. “We already had a break two hours ago. We’re so close.”

“You can’t go anywhere if you collapse.”

Shiro started to grow more afraid. He held himself after dropping his bag. “At least, I need to find a safe place to stop at. It’s getting worse, Keith.”

Throughout their journey, Shiro could feel the security he had with his suppressants grow weaker and weaker. He’d never felt so paranoid in his life. Any minute, he felt like he could collapse. Anything with Alpha blood in them could smell his heat and try to take advantage of him at his most vulnerable. He hated that feeling and wanted it to end, but he couldn’t stop it.

“I haven’t had a heat since my very first one,” he admitted. There was no point in feeling shame around Keith. This was only the beginning of an awkward journey. “I know this one’s going to be awful. I’d just hated that vulnerability I felt back then. I’m frightened.”

Keith looked at him. “If it makes you feel any better, I’ll keep guard. Wherever you end up having it, I’ll make sure nothing harms you.”

“I know.” Shiro blushed. “I’m sorry I dragged you in all of this. And I’m sorry I was so against you being my guard before. There’s nothing wrong with you protecting me. I was just… I felt like the concept of needing a guard was emasculating for me. I know, it’s stupid.”

“It’s not stupid.” He shrugged. “Your opinion’s valid, Your Highness.”

“We’re in the wilderness. Please, call me Shiro. No need for formalities.”

“Alright.” Keith smiled faintly. “Shiro.”

Shiro exhaled deeply. “Honestly, I’m glad you’re here with me. Who knows what would happen if I was alone out here?”

“You don’t need to worry about that now,” he assured him.

\--

_That evening, they rested near a_ river. Shiro insisted that he needed a cooling bath before bed, so he stood near the stream while Keith started the fire. He hoped that would soothe his feverish skin.

“I’m famished,” he confessed while fiddling with his dirty clothes. “I forgot what it felt like to be hungry.”

“Hopefully, I’ll catch some fish while we’re here,” Keith sighed and walked up to him. “You can’t afford to not be nourished before your heat.”

“I’ll just have to come up with a way to cope with it.” He started to undress and tensed when he realized Keith’s eyes were on him. “Don’t look,” he scolded.

“Fine, I won’t.” Keith turned away, facing another end of the river to try and hunt.

Shiro tried not to look down at him self as he undressed. He still had a long way to go before he could feel comfortable with his body. He never liked to look at himself. He’d done so much to help himself look more masculine on his own, but he felt like he couldn’t be loved by another person.

He’d pushed potential suitors away his whole life while he was closeted, but now that he had a special surgery on his chest and regularly had hormones, he felt like it was too late. Maybe this arranged marriage was the only way he’d have a partner, because when he previously tried to explore his options among other Alteans, no one was interested. The noblemen he grew up with were already married and had children.

Feeling like it was too late made him lose the confidence he started to develop. Even with an Alpha standing just a couple yards away, he felt undesired.

Now, as naked as the day he was born, he quietly stepped into the water, letting his hair down before diving into the stream. The water was so cold that his skin developed goosebumps, but even the chilly breeze when he resurfaced only temporarily reduced the symptoms of pre-heat. He scrubbed himself with his hands, trying to rinse away the dirt and grime on his skin and the oils in his scalp. He still felt dirty.

He also had an audience.

Against his orders, Keith was looking at him again. He was staring at his body, eyes softened as he looked him up and down. Shiro felt like he was on display.

“Keith, I told you not to look!” He scoffed and splashed him. “Pervert.”

Keith just chuckled and diverted his eyes again. Shiro blushed and swam a bit closer.

“It’s not funny,” he mumbled, lightly splashing him again. “You’re supposed to be keeping guard, not ogling a pri—hey!”

Keith splashed him while not looking at him. “What? You did it first.”

“Oh, you…” Shiro grumbled and splashed him again.

In response, Keith moved closer at lightning speed, picking him up. His heart started to pound, his mind feeling self-conscious but his Omega side preening and swooning over Keith’s display of strength.

“Put me down at once! As the Prince of Altea, I demand you to—” He held his breath as Keith dropped him back into the river.

He regained his footing to push Keith back into the water. With his momentary dominance, he stood up in triumph, only to be pulled back into the water.

Keith’s hair was drenched, bangs starting to cover his eyes, and Shiro started to laugh while his teeth chattered from the cold water. He moved back all the while, smile going up to his eyes.

He noticed that Keith stopped teasing and was staring at him with that soft look again.

“What?” Shiro tried to suppress his giggles.

“I’ve never seen you smile before,” he mused.

Shiro blushed and looked down. “It’s been a while. I haven’t had a reason to smile lately.”

Keith moved closer, wading with him in the river and lightly touching his arm. “I like when you smile.”

The blood pumping from his heart felt electric, and he met Keith halfway. They were so close to each other, and Shiro thought that time stopped. This was too much. He needed to break this tension somehow.

“Oh!” He perked up and pointed. “Keith, there was a fish!”

“Where?” He turned and immediately pounced back into the water with his arm outstretched. He resurfaced with his latest catch squirming in his hand. “Got it!”

Shiro had never felt more allured by a display of strength in his entire life.

Dinner was quiet between them. They both shared half of the fish, sitting close so they could stay warm by the fire.

“So, when you go back to the palace, what are your plans?”

Shiro frowned. “I… I guess I’ll have to marry Lotor. Nothing’s stopping the marriage except for my not being there. Then, I’ll just have to like the idea of having lots of Galra heir babies.”

“You don’t want children, I presume?”

“It’s not that I don’t. I just… I’m not too fond of the idea of being a mother.” Shiro frowned. “It’s socially acceptable in Altea for even cis male Omegas being called mothers. I’m against the idea completely. And I… I don’t know. I guess I’m not really meant to be a parent. My birth mother was a wonderful woman, and Allura’s parents were wonderful. Meanwhile, I’d spent my whole life self-loathing and doing whatever was deemed unacceptable by the Altean Court. So, I guess, by definition, I don’t have what it takes to be a good parent.”

“I don’t think that’s necessarily true.” Keith looked at him. “I’ve spent my whole life training for battle, fighting in wars, and challenging my strength on other people. By your definition, that makes me a bad person. But you don’t think I’m a bad person, right?”

“Well, no, but being a bad person and a bad parent are two different things.”

“In a way, they are, but that logic still applies.” Keith gave him a smile. “Despite my fighting background, I want to be a father. I’ve always wanted children of my own with a mate that cares for me as much as I care for them. I wanted a family, but I decided that serving the Emperor was more important than waiting another half of my life for the perfect mate. I mean, starting a family might not even happen for me anyways, because I now have to spend the rest of my life looking out for you.”

Shiro blushed. “You can still have a life, Keith,” he teased. “I guess we’ll just see what the future holds.”

“Yeah…” Keith trailed off when Shiro went back to his meal.

\--

_Shiro was on fire._

_He was_ standing in the middle of burning stones, feet firmly planted on the embers. He didn’t feel pain. He kept walking, reaching out to a blinding light. With each step, he could feel himself melting away.

King Alfor was standing in the middle of the light. _“Takashi… I’m sorry.”_

“Alfor?” Shiro reached out, but his lower half was consumed by the fire. “A-Alfor, help me!”

_“Takashi.”_ The old King reached his hands out. _“It was not my choice. My dear child… You were the rightful heir.”_

His eyes widened. “Alfor!”

He was fading.

“Alfor, what do you mean? What do I do?! Help!” It was getting hotter and hotter, his body melting away.

He woke up drenched in sweat, the fire from the pit long since dying out. Keith was resting against a tree, and Shiro felt so… so hot. His lip quivered when he realized what was happening, and he wasn’t prepared. Who knows how long he’d been giving off heat pheromones while he slept. He could be attracting anyone… anything!

His blood ran cold. Out in the distance, a pair of eyes was watching him.

His breathing was uneven as he tried crawling to Keith without breaking eye contact.

“Keith.” He rubbed his arm. “K-Keith, wake up.”

_“Warlock…”_

Shiro tensed at hearing the voice in the distance. It was gravelly, cruel…

He was no warlock, but how could they sense he possessed magic?

“Keith!” he hissed, unable to get his attention.

_“Warlock!”_

Their little camp was immediately surrounded, and Keith finally woke up. “What’s happening?”

“Keith—” He gasped as he was picked up by strong arms.

He couldn’t focus, his heat-rattled brain playing tricks on him. This band of pillagers were all Alphas, carrying torches. They must’ve been from an impoverished village or a group of rebels. After all, Shiro couldn’t be the only one vehemently against the structure of the Altean Court.

“The Warlock’s with a Galra,” the group sneered. “No magic will stop us!”

“I-I’m not—”

“Hey! The Warlock’s in heat! You smell that?” Another one started to laugh. “It’s practically leaking pheromones.”

“There are no Omegas in our village…” The leader pondered a thought.

Keith reached to lunge at them, but he was held back by two other Alphas, their grips on him tight. “Let him go!”

The leader moved forward while Shiro struggled until falling limp in submission. “Well… we’d get a handsome prince for it. Even if it’s a Warlock, it’s still a hole. A good breeding hole, at that.”

Shiro shuddered, trying to resist.

“Get your filthy hands off him!” Keith growled, claws growing the angrier he got. “He’s the Altean Prince, you fucks!”

“Bullshit. You think we care for royalty out here? They do shit for us…” He chuckled, parting the robes between his legs.

The hand was filthy, nails grown out and gnarled. Still, Shiro cringed as his body allowed two of those dirty fingers to enter with an aggressive shove. Tears fell from his eyes.

“Hah! It’s a virgin, too.”

“Guh!” Shiro yelped, feeling the fingers moving deeper inside him. It was so rough, and he could feel his nails. Despite the slick dripping from him, it was painful.

“They’ll pay us a nice price for this little thing,” the leader grinned. “It likes it!” He yanked his fingers out to taste his slick.

Shiro damned his Omega instincts lamenting over the loss. He felt so dirty and diverted his eyes.

“They won’t care it’s a Warlock if it’s a good, virgin fuck,” he chuckled. “Tie it up.”

“Hey, maybe it won’t be anymore. C’mon, let’s test it out!”

“Yeah, I’ll go first!”

Shiro started to scream and kick. Anything but that!

“You idiots!” The leader smacked the others. “Then it won’t cost as much.”

“We could just lie…”

Keith’s growling grew louder, and Shiro heard panicked yells from the men that were holding him back. Their arms were bleeding, ripped up to shreds as Keith clawed himself free from their grips.

Shiro was dropped on the ground, the pillagers opting to draw their swords on the Galra instead. Keith didn’t need a weapon. He overpowered them with his own Galra attributes. He ripped through their flesh with his claws and bared his fangs when they got too close. Before Shiro’s very eyes, he saw violence that took him back to the day he lost his birth mother. The rage in Keith’s slitted irises was indescribable.

Another flashback hit him, or what he thought was one. He never experienced this before.

It was a funeral… It was for an older man. Shiro was crying, his birth mother dressed in black.

_“Our Kingdom will not be ruled by a witch!”_

He heard Alfor’s voice now. _“But Queen Naomi rightfully should take his place! She’s his wife.”_

_My father?_

_“What will our alliances think if we let a witch and her half-bastard offspring lead the planet? We’ll be in ruin!”_

Next thing he knew, Shiro was being shoved out by guards, crying as his mother was pushed out, as well.

_“Naomi Shirogane, for heresy and witchcraft, you and your daughter are sentenced to life in exile.”_

Keith was screaming.

Shiro blinked and was found in the middle of the camp again. Several of the pillagers were dead, but Keith was overpowered once more by the leader. He had a grip on Keith’s throat.

“You’ll pay for that,” he bellowed, strangling Keith.

Shiro frantically looked around, stopping when seeing a discarded sword. It must’ve been Keith’s! He quickly took the hilt in both hands, the weapon shaking as he stepped forward on wobbly legs. He still felt phantom burns in his sex.

“Now, we’ll have a Warlock whore and a Galra’s head on a silver platter by the time we’re through with you!”

Taking a ragged breath, Shiro thrust the sword into the back of their attacker. The man made a gurgling sound as the blade drove in deeper, out the other end of his body. Shiro wanted to throw up.

Keith rolled back once the grip on his throat was gone, heaving for breath. Shiro stood there frozen, still holding onto the blade. He’d never killed a man before.

He couldn’t support the weight any longer and the body collapsed, making Shiro fall. He didn’t know when he started crying, but his throat was no raw from how hard his sobs were coming out.

“Shiro!”

He heard Keith’s voice, but it was so distant compared to the sound of his blood roaring in his ears.

“I-I didn’t want to kill him! You were dying, and he-he—He touched me! I-I couldn’t—”

“Shiro!” Keith held his arms. “Shiro, look at me.”

“I-I didn’t want to kill him!”

“Look at me…” His voice was calm. “Shiro, we’re safe. Relax…”

Shiro tried his best, but it was so hard with another wave of heat overpowering him. He collapsed in Keith’s arms, heat sickness taking over. He couldn’t form a coherent thought or sentence in that moment.

“Let’s get out of here.” Keith picked him up over his shoulder. “Hold onto me. We need to find somewhere away from the open.”

“K-Keith—”

“It’s over…”

Shiro didn’t know how fast Keith started running. They were following the river, going downstream.

“There!”

There was a small crevice in a stone structure down the river, almost like a shallow cave. Keith had to cross the river to reach it, but Shiro held on for dear life. At the entrance of the cave, Keith gently placed him down. He scouted around and inside the shallow crevice.

“We’re alone,” he assured. “You’ll be safe here.”

Shiro went to reach for him but retracted his hand, shame blooming within him. “Thank you…”

Keith stood up. “You have nothing to worry about now. Do what you need to. I’ll stand guard until your heat breaks.”

“Keith…” Before Shiro could say more, Keith walked away, standing at the edge of the river.

He had to remind himself he wasn’t desirable, especially not after that encounter. Keith wouldn’t want to help him with his heat. Besides, he didn’t even see him that way. Thinking of a guard like that was inappropriate.

The ground was mossy and uncomfortable, and his clothes were dirty and bloodstained, but he made a pathetic nest with them. He mourned over how awful it was, but there was nothing he could do. This was all he had to make it through his heat.

The night air was freezing, but he still felt so hot. He turned on his hands and knees, hand moving between his legs while his guard was right outside.

\--

_Overnight, Shiro’s heat got worse._

_There_ was nothing he could do to relieve himself with his own hands. He’d gone as far as to shove three fingers inside himself, but that did nothing for him. He was a heaving, sobbing mess by the time the sun rose. He couldn’t sleep.

And with Keith’s Alpha scent jut a small distance away was killing him. He needed someone’s knot. He couldn’t go through this without a knot.

By the time the sun set again, Shiro was on fire, hair sticking to his face and body electrified. He relived the trauma from the night before. The need for someone to hold him was outweighing his need to do this alone. He couldn’t take it anymore.

Keith hadn’t made a move once, standing guard and only resting for an hour at a time. He made no advances on him. If anything, that made Shiro want him even more.

“…K-Keith.”

There was nothing.

“Keith?”

Silence greeted him again. He couldn’t take it.

“Keith!” he wailed as he collapsed on his useless nest. The vulnerability was killing him.

“Shiro?” He finally stepped in, a visceral reaction showing on his face at Shiro’s scent.

Keith wasn’t attracted.

“Please,” he begged, tears rolling down his face. “Please! Keith—I-I need you. Please!”

Damn keeping his body pure before his wedding. Damn those pillagers trying to assault him. Damn the Altean Court for putting him in this position. He needed this heat to go away.

Keith crouched low, teeth bared. “No one can ever know about this,” he hissed. “If the Emperor finds out, I’ll be executed.”

“I-I promise I won’t tell, just please!” he cried. “Just help me, that’s all I need. I can’t take it anymore!”

He was cut off when Keith kissed his lips. It was so deep, and Shiro melted under it, lips parting as Keith’s tongue practically consumed his gulps for air.

He felt his hand on him, and it felt like he could come already.

“Mmm!” He gasped against his lips, his fingers soft when stroking his cock. It was nothing like before, when the pillager was so rough and gross with his motions. This was gentle, sincere… It was a cooling balm for him.

He presented himself to Keith, shaking when watching him undress. For his shorter stature, his size was rather impressive.

All thoughts ceased when Keith’s fingers pressed inside him. They were one after the other, and Shiro keened while pushing his hips back into the minute thrusts. He felt kisses up his bare thighs when Keith moved behind him, fingers moving faster and faster.

Shiro clawed at the moss underneath him. “Keith…” He begged again, hips rocking once more.

Just as Keith thrust in a third finger to join the other two, Shiro’s eyes widened when feeling Keith’s tongue engulfing his little cock. Shiro sucked in a sharp breath, orgasm quickly approaching. He’d never felt so good in his life. It was with that thought that he had his first true orgasm, his body convulsing as Keith continued his relentless, pleasurable touches.

“Oh!” he keened and squirmed, feeling oversensitive. “Ohh, Keith! Yes!”

He was quickly turned on his back. Keith added his clothes to the nest. It felt so complete now. It was _theirs._ Shiro held his hands tight as they kissed, and he spread his legs wide for him. There was no one else he wanted more in that moment than Keith.

He pulled away with a gasp when Keith started entering, parting the lips of his sex with his thumb. His body trembled at the intrusion, but Shiro welcomed the feeling. It didn’t feel as painful as he thought it would, taking an Alpha’s cock.

“It’s alright…” Keith kissed the shell of his ear.

Shiro gripped tightly to his back, nails scratching at his fur. “S-so full…” He whined and kissed his shoulder. “K-Keith.”

His mouth hung open when Keith began to thrust, body overpowering him with a force so strong that it was overwhelming.

“Keith…” he whimpered, uselessly pushing his hips up to meet his thrusts. “Keith, f-faster.”

Keith took hold of his hips, groaning while driving himself in and out in a gyrating motion. The faster he moved, the deeper he seemed to go inside him.

“Ah!” Shiro cried, throwing his head back. “Y-yes! Yes—more!”

He never thought he’d be so demanding during sex. It used to be such a foreign concept to him, but now that he was having it, he never wanted it to end.

And whatever Shiro begged of him, Keith gave with more fervor than he ever expected. The galaxies above felt so much closer when they were dancing right behind his eyes.

He could feel the cusp of Keith’s not dragging against him, and Shiro never wanted anything more than this right now. He cried, reaching for Keith’s ass and pulling him in harshly with each thrust. The rougher and more primal Keith got, the more amazing it felt.

“Knot me,” Shiro cried. “Please—I-I want it! F-fuck!”

He was swearing and writhing the tighter and faster his orgasm was approaching. Keith growled into his shoulder while his hips snapped against Shiro’s, one hand stroking his cock with a rapid accuracy.

When he came, Shiro silently screamed. The sensation was almost too much, and all the air left his lungs. With earnest, he felt Keith’s knot stretching him wider than ever before. He was being filled with Keith’s spend, and every nerve in his body sang.

“Oh, Keith…” Shiro panted hard. “K-Keith.”

Keith remained still, breathing hard and looking down at him. They were stuck in this knot for an undeterminable amount of time, so the only thing Shiro could think of doing was bring him down for another passionate, soul-crushing kiss.

He didn’t know how it was possible, but Keith brought him to another orgasm again just from stroking his cock. Shiro didn’t know anything else that could be more perfect.

\--

_It took three more days for_ Shiro’s heat to break. It was intense and rough, but Keith got him through it. Their last round of sex, Shiro was riding on his Alpha’s cock. His voice was hoarse and almost gone from how much noise he’d been making, his hips driving in a languid motion. Shiro was so weak, he could barely stay upright while bouncing on Keith.

“F-fuck… I need it,” he whimpered. “P-please!”

Keith took hold of his hips in a bruising grip.

Keith took hold of his hips in a bruising grip. He sat upright and started lifting Shiro up and slamming him back down on his cock rhythmically. The sensation would make the prince scream if he still had a voice.

“T-that’s it!” he gasped, shaking and touching himself the closer he got. “Yes! Ohh, Keith! Ah!”

His final orgasm practically tore through him. It felt so good, he blacked out to Keith’s knot fucking into him once more.

\--

_He was so cold when he_ awoke, another two days after his heat broke. He held his naked body, still sore from what could only be described as copious amounts of animal sex.

He felt no regrets. He’d never felt so happy with another person before. In the short time they knew each other, Keith showed him more respect and compassion than he felt from anyone else in a long time. They saved each other on their journey. Keith was everything he ever wanted in a mate.

He grabbed his clothes and redressed. Keith had long since grabbed his own, probably while he was out cold. Shiro’s legs were wobbly when he stood, but he stepped outside in the chilly air.

Keith had breakfast cooking over a fire: fresh fish. Shiro smiled and leaned against the stone crevice.

He loved him.

“Good morning.” Shiro’s voice was still hoarse, but not nearly as bad as before. He was still smiling from ear to ear as he sat beside him.

Keith didn’t look at him. “Good morning, Your Highness.” He handed him some fish on a small spit. “Here. Breakfast.”

Shiro grinned and took it from him, starting to eat. “this has been the most wonderful few days,” he hummed blissfully. “I feel so safe with you.”

“You should,” he said faintly. “I’m your guard.”

“Oh, don’t be silly,” he swooned and gave Keith a kiss.

Keith didn’t kiss back.

Shiro retracted. “Keith… is something wrong?”

“Yes. Very,” he muttered. “You’ve gotten your heat fix, so now we can send you on your journey and go home.”

“But Keith. D-did you not feel anything from what we’ve done?” he asked.

“Oh, don’t pull that with me,” Keith groaned. “You got through your heat. We can stop with the act now and move on.”

“But…” His heart started to break. “Keith, I love you.”

“You don’t know what love is. You’re an orphaned, spoiled prince.”

Shiro really thought they had chemistry. He thought Keith felt the same way. But he was wrong… disgustingly wrong.

“Y-you’re right.” He held back tears. “I guess I don’t…” He looked towards the stream. “I’ll just bathe. Then we can go.”

“Right.” Keith stood up. “Let me know when you’re ready to move.”

“Uh-huh…” Shiro had never felt so gross. He hoped Keith knew how badly he’d broken his heart. He hoped he could hear his cries while he tried to bathe.

\--

_When they got to the ruins_ of his childhood home, Shiro didn’t know where to begin. He was devastated by the wreckage, most of the ruins weathered away. Keith stayed back, once again a shadow like a normal royal guard would be.

It killed him.

Shiro tried to chant the Looking Glass spell, staring at the expanse of fields before him.

_“Through the Looking Glass, the truth will show. Wicked lies will fade once the world knows.”_

At first, nothing happened. He started to think that this was all a lie. Did he ever really master this spell? Was it even real?

Then he realized…

His _dreams._

He’d first said in it in his dream. Did that trigger all those strange flashbacks? This entire journey…

He knew all along.

And maybe trying to chant the spell now filled in all the missing pieces.

His birth parents were the rightful rulers… Alfor was the royal adviser, like his father before him. If Shiro hadn’t been born, Alfor would’ve been king. Shiro’s birth mother was from a poor village. She knew magic. The Altean Court was against his birth father marrying her, thinking she bewitched him to fall in love with her. But their love was true.

When Shiro was young, his birth father died, giving the Altean Court an excuse to rid his mother from ruling for good. An old alchemist wiped Shiro of his memories from his time as a young royal Alfor had felt guilty, so when his birth mother was killed, he took Shiro back in as a prince. Technically, Shiro could’ve immediately become king when he transitioned, since he was the rightful ruler.

But the thing was, he never wanted to become king. Knowing the truth didn’t change that. Allura was Queen now, and he wouldn’t want it any other way. She was a better ruler than he ever could be.

It was the Altean Court that he wanted a few words with. He wanted to settle the score.

He turned to see Keith looking at him. He moved closer, taking a shaky breath. “I’m the rightful heir by blood,” he started. “The Altean Court was trying to keep me from taking the throne back. There’s nothing I want more than for them to resign and for the Court to be renewed.”

Keith simply looked at him. “Well. If you become the new master chairman, you won’t need me anymore.”

Shiro frowned. “I guess you’re right. But we have to come up with a new plan.”

He heard a loud noise above him, making him flinch and look up. The current master chairman was who made himself known.

“Ah. I see, you aren’t dead,” he murmured. “Your little stunt postponed the wedding long enough.”

“You took my family’s power away from them. Away from me!” Shiro glared. “You committed treason!”

“Oh, who will listen to you?” he chuckled. “Who would they believe more? The official Altean Court, or a bastard daughter that mutilated her body?” He took a tight hold of Shiro’s wrist, taking a deep breath. “You reek of that Galra,” he snarled.

“Unhand me!” Shiro gasped.

“You dirty whore! You’ll ruin everything!”

“Consider it ruined when I have Allura force you to resign! You’ll suffer the same punishment that you inflicted on my mother!”

The master growled. “You’re going to start a war! Galra mate for life!”

Shiro paused. “W-what?”

“That’s why their wedding customs are so strict!” he yelled. “They’re not social like Alteans are!”

He shook when staring at Keith, who wouldn’t look at him. “Keith… Keith, is that true?”

He swallowed thickly. “Yes, Your Highness. It’s true.”

“I…” Shiro truly fucked up. He ruined Keith’s chance at finding real love… He ruined his chances of starting a family. “Keith… I-I’m so sorry—”

“Enough with that mouth.” The master shoved Shiro towards the ship. “No matter. You’re not marked. We’ll try to cover the scent up. Hopefully, he won’t know the difference.”

“No!” He struggled. “You’ll never make me!”

“You will be getting married in chains!”

“What of the guard?” a soldier asked, gesturing to Keith.

The master sneered. “Leave him here. Let him succumb to the elements.”

“No! N-no, Keith!” Shiro was put on the ship, further and further away from Keith.

The master gestured to his guards. “Make sure the prince doesn’t make contact with Allura. You wouldn’t want them to meet before the wedding.”

Shiro crumbled and fell to his knees.

When they returned to the palace, the court told Lotor that they found Keith dead. Shiro was more miserable than ever, unable to speak to Allura and missing Keith with each day that passed. Even thought he knew how capable Keith was at surviving in the wilderness, Shiro forced himself to accept the fact that he’d never see him again. He’d die in the woods.

He had chains on his ankles when in his room, so he was unable to leave. The wedding had to be postponed another phoeb, so he was trapped in his room.

Emperor Lotor entered his room one night. Shiro had never felt so afraid. He hadn’t seen his betrothed since the day he ran away. Who knows what he thought of him now?

“Prince Takashi.” Lotor stood near the bed.

Shiro was seated, feeling too ill to stand. He felt so exhausted and sick lately that being confined in his room without easy access to the washroom was a true curse. No nurses had been brought to his room despite his ailments and grievances.

“Emperor Lotor,” he mumbled. “It’s good to see you.”

“Good to see you too.” He stepped closer. As he reached the bed, his body went rigid.

Shiro’s heart began to pound. “Emperor… is something wrong?”

He looked angry, but only for a moment. His expression melted away to disappointment as he stared at him. “…You’re with child.”

Shiro started to feel faint. “Oh…” He chuckled. “That’s not possible. I’m a virgin,” he lied.

Lotor just stared. “Your scent changed. Pregnancy pheromones are unmistakable, especially if the offspring is part Galra.”

The color drained from his face. He couldn’t avoid the rift between him and his betrothed anymore. He needed to tell him the truth. “Emperor, I’m so sorry. I-I wish I could’ve just accepted the marriage, but I couldn’t. I don’t love you the way you love Allura. My heart belongs to someone else.”

“Keith,” he grunted. “Your heart belongs to Keith.”

His lip quivered. Hearing his name after so long grieved him. “Yes. I-I love him.”

Lotor frowned and turned away. “It’s true. I did love your sister more. My intention was to marry her.”

“I know. You still can,” he insisted. “I want to dismantle the Altean Court. I can offer better ways to repair our alliance. We can open trade, help our less fortunate cities… We can offer reparations for the communities that need them. We have poorer cities on our planet that still need aid after Emperor Zarkon’s invasion, and we can assist you on Daibazaal. We don’t need a marriage to unify us. We just need to work together.”

Lotor mused. “You’re right. Besides, arranged marriages are archaic.”

Shiro thought he could cry. He threw himself at Lotor in a tight hug. “Thank you.”

“No need…” He looked at him. “But, what of your child? What are you going to do?”

He lowered his head. “I don’t know. I never… Keith told me he’d always wanted to be a father, but now he’s gone…”

“We need to speak with Allura. She’ll know what to do.”

“I can’t,” Shiro frowned. “The guards won’t let me leave.”

He sighed. “Then… I’ll bring her to you.”

“You will?” His eyes lit up.

“Wait here.” Lotor stepped out of the room.

While Shiro waited, he was left with the weight of the most terrifying news of his life. He was expecting a child… Keith’s child. With no way to know where he was now, he was presumed dead. Could he raise a baby alone? Should he even have one? There were so many reasons why he shouldn’t.

But he wanted Keith to fulfill the one thing he always wanted… even if he wasn’t here to see it.

Allura soon arrived in the chambers with Lotor, and the three of them stayed on the bed together. Grieved and plagued with the ailments of his knowledge, Shiro told Allura everything.

_Everything._

\--

_The Altean Courtroom doors were flung_ open. The master stood in the center of the room, blood boiling when seeing Allura, Lotor, and Shiro all enter the room together.

“Your Majesty, the prince is under house arrest.”

“Not anymore,” she glared. “Takashi, will you do the honors?”

“Gladly.” He took out a scroll. “By order of the Queen, all members of the Altean Court are hereby charged with treason, attempted murder, and discrimination of a royal family member. You are all sentenced to life in exile.”

“What?!” The master bellowed. “You can’t do that! You can’t dismantle the Altean Court!”

“We’re not. Henceforth, it will be under new and better management.” Allura kept a regal smile while placing a hand on Shiro’s shoulder. “Even though Prince Takashi Shirogane of Altea is the rightful heir to the throne, he requested that I remain Queen. For his gratitude despite our families’ troubled past, I hereby dub him the new Master Chairman of the Altean Court. All new laws and public relations will be approved by him, and his first steps are to repair our alliance with Daibazaal.”

“The correct way,” Shiro added. “Guards, take them away.”

“No!” The former master glared at them. “You can’t do this! You’re just a bastard!”

Shiro simply waved them off as each court member was kicked out of the castle. “No need to be so polite as you leave. Farewell.”

Allura grinned at Shiro once the three of them were alone again. “Takashi, you were incredible!”

Shiro helplessly smiled. “Come on, now. We have an alliance to rebuild.”

Shiro couldn’t do much intergalactic traveling now that his controversial pregnancy was made public. However, he carried out most of his humanitarian work on Altea. Cities were being rebuilt at last after the Siege ages ago. Faith in their monarchy was finally being restored.

Several more phoebs passed, and Shiro’s child continued to grow within him. He was still deathly afraid. People kept acknowledging him as a mother, and without the father present, there was no real validation to his claim that he preferred not to be called a mother. But he’d never blame the baby for that. It was his choice to continue carrying them, and he loved them endlessly.

“A Galra kit grows faster than an Altean child.” Lotor commented this while he, Shiro, and Allura were seated together. “There’s no telling how soon they’ll be born.”

“It’s been a few phoebs. Usually, it takes a decaphoeb for an Altean baby to be born.” Shiro felt winded. There was still so much he needed to do to prepare for a new child. “I wish Keith was here.”

He rarely talked to Kolivan, Lotor’s royal guard. He was so intimidating that he was afraid to. But lately, Kolivan had been giving him such fond looks.

“Young one.” Kolivan spoke.

Shiro perked up while Lotor and Allura still spoke with each other. He sensed a romantic bond growing between them every day, and he was so happy for them.

He moved closer to Kolivan. “…Yes, Sir?”

“Do you truly believe Keith is dead?”

He lowered his head. “No… I don’t. I could never imagine that. He’s too strong to ever let that happen.”

“Do you want us to find him for you?”

He paused. Why hadn’t he considered that? His grief must’ve been far too great. “He never wants to see me again… He hates me.”

“What?” he scoffed. “That boy loves you!”

“You’re lying,” he frowned. “After my heat, Keith pushed me away. He didn’t want to look at me.”

“You were betrothed,” he reminded. “He had to force himself not to have you. However, considering he mated with you, he didn’t do a very good job.”

He was speechless. “How would I know if you were telling the truth?”

“What if I told you my information came from a reliable source?”

Huh. That sounded familiar.

“Galra royal guards know everything,” he chuckled.

Shiro bit his lip. “W-well. What are you waiting for?” If he really loved him before, he most certainly didn’t now. He couldn’t now… But he had to repay him for saving his life. He wouldn’t be here without him. “Send out search parties. Have Galra and Altean guards comb the whole planet. Search everywhere for him!” He gasped and started following Kolivan out.

“Where are you going?” Allura hurried to take his hand. “Galra mothers normally give birth any minute now! You’re not fit to travel.”

“I’m going to find him,” he said. “Put Coran in charge until I get back.”

\--

_They’d been searching for over a_ week.

Shiro couldn’t sleep. He needed to make sure Keith was alive and found. There was no sign of any Galra life in the wilderness, until…

There were remnants of nomadic campfires around the woods. They all led back to a shallow cave… the same one they’d mated in. When they arrived, Shiro stepped out. He had to cross the river, the water icy cold. No one was there, and he was shivering.

“Keith!” he called out. “Keith. Please, answer me!”

He grew more desperate, days of no sleep toying with his emotions. He could cry right here.

He saw someone step out from the brush. He was thinner and scragglier than before, but it was definitely Keith. He was passing through to the cave when Shiro stepped forward.

“Keith!” Tears flowed freely. “Keith, I’ve found you!”

Keith stared. “Your Highness…” He was staring at his round belly.

Shiro was oblivious. He smiled while reaching for him. “I’m no longer a prince. I’m the new Master Chairman of the Altean Court.”

“Great…” He wasn’t enthused. “Congratulations.”

“Hm?” He looked down and realized. “Oh!” He held Keith’s arms happily. “Yes,” he purred and brought his hands forward to touch his middle. “Keith, I’m pregnant.”

“I see that,” he mumbled. “So, did you and Lotor marry right when you got back? Who knew feelings faded that fast?”

“What?” His face fell. “No. N-no, we never married.”

“How does your kingdom feel about you and Lotor having a child out of wedlock? Isn’t that taboo on your planet, or something?”

“Keith…” His eyes watered as he stepped back. “This is not Lotor’s child. We’ve never been together.”

“…What?”

“This baby is yours,” he insisted, tone pleading. “I’m having your child, Keith.”

The doubt washed away from his face. “Really? Shiro, this is mine?” He stammered. “But why? You just needed your heat to break.”

“That’s what I was trying to tell you!” he begged. “I love you! I wouldn’t have wanted you to mate with me if I didn’t. But when you pushed me away, I thought…” Shiro started breaking down in front of him. “I-I thought you never wanted to see me again.”

“Shiro…”

“Please. I-I’ll do whatever I need to for you to come home with me. I don’t want to do this without you. W-we don’t even have to be together.”

“Shiro.”

He didn’t notice when Keith started holding him in his arms. He pulled him close in a careful embrace, one that Shiro held onto for dear life.

“I’m so sorry, Shiro,” he murmured. “I’m sorry. You don’t have to do anything, okay? I love you so much.”

“I love you,” he whimpered, giving him a chase kiss. “Come home with me. Please…”

“Of course.” Keith moved a hand to his belly. “You’re really pregnant,” he gasped in disbelief.

Shiro smiled and nuzzled closer. “I wanted to give you the family you always wanted, Keith.”

“And I love you for that,” he crooned, “father of my child.”

Shiro’s lip quivered. “Oh, I love you…”

\--

_An alliance that was torn in_ half for generations was finally mended. One precious product of that alliance was being born today.

In the early hours one winter morning, the Master Chairman of the Altean Court assigned Coran his duties for the next several phoebs. He’d need plenty of absence time to heal. Several nurses entered the room, but no one else, until Shiro pleaded for the unspoken rule of Alpha parents not being allowed in the delivery room to be broken. He wanted Keith beside him.

The entire Eastern corridor had echoing screams of pain throughout the halls. Briefly, Shiro wondered how in the _fuck_ his mother was able to do this. He felt so weak after his body was being torn apart for several vargas with no results.

“Just a little longer, Sir!” the head nurse pleaded.

“I can’t anymore!” Shiro sobbed, bracing himself once more and holding his mate’s hand tightly. “I-I can’t!”

Despite begging for an easier end when there was none in sight, Keith stayed beside him to help him endure it. His scent calmed him when Shiro wasn’t being tortured by contractions, and Keith’s sweet words of comfort gave him extra encouragement.

“It’ll be over soon, my love,” Keith crooned. “You can do this.”

It ended at sunrise. Shiro sobbed after exhausting all of his efforts, fearing that it still wasn’t enough. He was proven wrong when he heard tiny cries and mewls.

“They’re male,” the head nurse announced excitedly. “You’ve given birth to a male, Master Shirogane.”

Shiro fell back in Keith’s arms. “Is he healthy?” he rasped, shaking and trying to lift his head up. “C-can I see?”

Nurses handed him sterilized towels before letting him hold the newborn. He was in shock at how perfect he was. He had the facial feature of his Altean father but looked Galra in every way. And he was so, very tiny. He didn’t expect something that took so much effort to birth to be so small.

“Stimulate his breathing,” Keith chided, voice thick with emotion. “Rubbing his chest will help him breathe on his own.”

Shiro was shaking while complying. He carefully rubbed the kit’s chest with the warm towel, watching life slowly burst through him. He held him close to his chest, struggling to fathom how he and his beloved mate created something so beautiful.

“Oh, Keith…” They gave each other a slow kiss. “Keith, he’s perfect. H-he looks so much like you.”

Keith smiled and wiped his eyes. “Like us,” he murmured. “A perfect child deserves a perfect name.”

“After his grandfather, the old King.” Shiro hummed. “Ryouta.”

“And a name from his Galra heritage,” Keith smiled. “Yorak.”

“Ryouta Yorak Shirogane.”

This was the start of a new, better chapter for both their worlds. Both fathers promised to help shape a bright future for their son, and more children they would have after him. This future wouldn’t have been possible without their special bond that’d last forever.

**Author's Note:**

> Come yell at me on Twitter: @cryptic_gabriel


End file.
